Emily
by daydream1000
Summary: Can a chance encounter alter how we look at the world? After fleeing Hogwarts with Snape, Draco meets someone he did not expect. OC.


_I own nothing relating to Harry Potter. _

It was pouring rain. Absolutely pouring. The dark cloak he was wearing was bordering on useless as he meandered down the row. But where could he go?

Snape had told him to wait for him at the fountain in the middle of the square. They were in a small town, somewhere southeast of London. Snape had said it was alright here, but he still felt so jumpy out in the open. He felt like even the skinny trees planted along the road were against him, the movement of their branches in the wind giving him away. Then, very suddenly, it had begun to downpour. He had sat by the fountain for a time, until the rain had become too much to tolerate, little bits of ice hitting him as well as heavy raindrops. The trees proving useless, he had gone down a pedestrian side street looking for some other sort of shelter. The only thing he found was a green colored awning outside a shop with large glass windows. As he could still see the fountain in the distance he slumped underneath this awing, slowing sliding down the window to sit on the road. He sighed heavily and pulled his cloak around himself tightly.

A little bell jingling to his right make him jump.

"We're open, you know." A girl was smiling down at him, leaning halfway out the door, her long blonde hair falling like a curtain on one side of her head.

He looked up at her, not quite sure how to react.

"We're open." She said, louder this time. "You should come inside at least, it's awful out here." She smiled.

And, as if controlled by some force outside himself, he got up and followed her. He later blamed it on the fact that she had looked like his mother.

"Feel free to sit down anywhere." She continued, heading back to a bar. It's been dead here today because of this weather. Can you believe this is May?"

The place was filled with chairs and little tables, a low velvet, purple couch placed along a wall. He found it strange there was no where to sit at the bar, but the glass display case filled with pastries looked inviting. The place was warm at least, and it smelled like chocolate.

"You can hang up your coat over there," she said, pointing to a rack.

Still in a semi-daze, he complied, approaching the counter.

For some reason he couldn't stop staring at her. She was slim, her sheet of hair falling halfway down her back. She wore a while blouse and form fitting tan trousers, with a green apron that matched the outside awing. He watched her walk back behind the bar, her movements graceful. She wore a nametag that read "Emily".

"So… wandering in the rain?" she asked.

He shook himself out of his stupor to respond.

"No. He said, "I'm waiting. Waiting for someone. We were to meet at the fountain."

"Well, I'm sure they'll find you here." She smiled again. "I doubt your friend wants to have you catching pneumonia out there. Can I get you a drink while you're waiting?"

"No, thank you" he replied, assuming she meant alcohol.

"Here have a lemon bar, on the house," she smiled, noticing how he had been eyeing the pastries. She reached into the glass display case and handed him a slice of yellow cake. "It's alright, my manager is at lunch." She winked at him.

"I've never seen you around before. And I never forget a face." She continued, as he looked at the yellow cake. "Are you visiting for the summer holiday?"

"No, I'm… traveling. Passing through" He replied.

"Well, I hope you get better weather… I'm sorry I didn't catch your name?"

"Draco." He replied. He had zoned out again, starting at her lips as she talked. He realized too late he should have lied, but then again what was the harm?

Her eyes widened at this and she smiled. "Draco?" she asked, "Wow, your parents must be really stylish. Wow, I was one of six Emilys in my year at school. I would love to have an elegant name like that." She sighed. "Are you finished with school then Draco? Taking a break year? My friend Mark is taking a gap year, going to Italy and North Africa, then who knows? It sounds lovely, but as for me, I've been accepted at Kings London in the fall! I'm so excited to go to Uni, I just don't think I could wait another year!"

As she chattered on, he realized he had no idea what Emily was talking about. Then it hit him that this very pretty girl was a muggle. The thought had not entered his mind until that moment and he found that strange, that he had been too busy thinking about her hair and legs and lips to realize that he was so entranced by an actual muggle. It then dawned upon him that he had never actually met a muggle before. Yes he had seen them, but she was the first he had ever _met_. Emily had no idea who the Death Eaters were or where his father was or what had happened two weeks ago at Hogwarts. And realizing this made him smile.

"Yes, I'm done with school as well." He replied taking a bite out of his lemon cake. "I'm… taking some time to travel, like your friend."

"Where are you planning to go?" She asked.

"I'm not sure yet." He replied, breaking off more cake. "Where ever I fancy, I suppose, I've always wanted to see South America."

It wasn't a lie.

"Sounds like an adventure." She smiled. "Part of me still wants to try it, but I would run out of quid like that." She snapped her fingers. "As it is I'm working here all summer to earn spending money for London. Mum says I have too expensive taste." She rolled her eyes.

"It's not a bad thing to go for quality." He replied.

"That's what I say!" she smiled. "Mum's always hunting for a bargain, but then spends as much as I do on a bunch of crap! I swear the older I get the more I realize we have so little in common, my Mum and me. I remember when I was little I thought everything she said and did was right I'm realizing now how silly she can be." She sighed again, tossing her hair back. "I bet you've never thought that of your parents though."

"Sometimes." He replied. "My father…. Well lately I've been thinking about the choices he made for my family."

A little voice inside his head was yelling; "Why are you telling her all this!? She'll never understand anything! She's a muggle!"

He scowled at the voice, replying to it inwardly with a stern, "Her name is Emily."

"We shouldn't let it bother us too much though." Emily smiled. "After all, we're not our parents, no matter what people think."

It was strange how Emily knew just what to say.

And he suddenly wanted to tell her more, more about how his father, and about how worried he was for his mother, who she looked like a younger version of; about Harry Potter and…

His thoughts were interrupted by a hard knocking on the glass behind him. Emily was looking outside with a frown.

"Is he looking for you Draco?" She asked, pointing.

Snape was standing outside the shop, his eyes wide in a mix of surprise and dismay.

"Oh, yes… He's my Uncle." Said Draco.

"Seems he's been worried about you." She said, looking amused.

"Yeah" he rolled his eyes. He was disappointed Snape had found him already, he wasn't ready to say goodbye to Emily and face reality again. And for just one fleeting moment he wanted to dawn a green apron and stay here forever, the world Death Eaters and dark marks releasing him forever.

Snape was now sternly gesturing him to come outside.

"You can tell your Uncle to come in for a latte or something. Looks like he needs it" She laughed.

He smiled back at her.

"No, he never would." He replied, wondering what a latte was. "We have to go."

"Well, best of luck, Draco. Hope you have a lovely adventure." At this she reached out her hand, and almost cautiously, he took it. Her hand was soft and warm, and he grasped it tighter.

"Thank you" he said, and gave her a slight bow.

"And, wait," she said. "If you are ever in London, feel free to give me a ring. I'd love to hear about your travels." She smiled, scribbling a series of numbers on a paper napkin. "Here." She said, handing the napkin to him. "My mobile phone number."

He took it, and placed it in his pocket.

"I'll do that. It's been a pleasure, Emily." He liked the way the name sounded rolling off his lips.

He left the shop walking backwards, almost forgetting his cloak.

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

"What in the world were you thinking?!" Snape hissed at them as they paced quickly through the rain. "I told you to wait by the fountain! If you can not even follow simple instructions…."

"It was bloody pouring." Draco replied.

"So you decide it's better to explore some muggle coffee shop? To chat up some silly girl! You do realize that was a full blooded muggle!?

"Her name is Emily." Draco said before he could stop himself.

Snape stopped at this. "She is exactly what you are meant to despise and destroy." He said.

Draco turned to him, scowling at his gaunt face. And for once he found he had no reply.

"Let's just go." Draco sneered.

Snape continued down the street, Draco trailing in his wake, hands shoved in his pockets. He held the napkin Emily had given him tightly in his fist.

Later he would sit back and think of her smile and lips and laughter. He would stare at the napkin and wonder what a mobile phone was and how he in the world could use this series of numbers to contact her. And for a while, he wondered how she could really be a muggle, as her shop seemed to magically follow him. When he asked why he kept seeing that green awing, Snape said it was a 'chain', and that Starbucks was everywhere. He told him to stop being ridiculous and concentrate on what was important.

But Draco still found himself stopping under green awnings to look in the wide windows, just in case.

_Thanks so much to all my readers! _


End file.
